Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, certainly one of our objectives is to increase the hiring of Northwest Territories employees in all sectors. We think that we can achieve the objective that the Members laid out without having to open up the socio-economic agreements. We will be working towards that very end.

The three socio-economic agreements we have negotiated with the diamond companies require the hiring of employees from pick-up points at various centres in North Slave. The diamond companies have been quite successful in doing so. We are having discussions with them. We’ve expressed concern about arrangements whereby employees are being flown in directly from southern points, and we are having discussions with diamond companies to find the solution that would meet all of our different objectives.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform this Assembly that the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation is establishing a new subsidiary in Ulukhaktok in partnership with the Ulukhaktok Artists’ Association.

Ulukhaktok has a longstanding tradition of excellence in the creation of arts and crafts, particularly in the area of print-making. The new subsidiary will build on the community’s existing skills by providing a facility for print-making, carving and the production of qiviut or muskox wool products and by marketing these items across Canada.

The BDIC is mandated to...

Yes, I’ll do the necessary research, and I’ll make sure that whatever we follow is consistent with the accounting treatments that are provided for by the Department of Finance.

I guess I just want to point out to the Member that’s he’s referring to one incident that happened some time ago. I think, as a government, we are definitely responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Certainly, if it can be shown that the purchase of carbon offsets will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we would definitely find a way to put it into place. I guess a question is…. The practice of buying carbon offsets from travel agents. Does that really reduce the emission of greenhouse gases?

I had responded to the Member in response to a previous question. At that time he had indicated...

Mr. Speaker, the timelines that have been laid out indicate that the JRP report would be completed within four months after the hearings were completed. If you adhere to that, then you’re looking at early spring of 2008. If there’s any delay, it would push it back into the summertime, and as we all know, even for writing reports that would probably mean that it wouldn’t be available until the fall. That would be problematic, because it would probably push back the go–no go decision which the company would have to make probably within a year after the report has been concluded.

The government has been working very hard to be prepared for the pipeline. We realize there is significant lead time to make sure that we have people trained up and businesses ready to take advantage of the opportunities that will come with a pipeline.

I should point out that the offices in Inuvik, Norman Wells and Fort Simpson have not been closed; they have been downsized. Imperial Oil has indicated that they are doing so to wait the writing of the Joint Review Panel report, and they remain committed to the project. The Liquid Natural Gas reports that you are referring to…. This was something...

The socio-economic agreements cannot be opened except by mutual consent, so we are looking at other avenues to increase the catchment area for the hiring of skilled N.W.T. employees.

The diamond companies in the Slave Geologic Province have been leaders in hiring out northern employees in the N.W.T., particularly from the North Slave region. We were following very closely the announcement that Flint Energy had decided to also look at the N.W.T. in an attempt to hire skilled workers. Having worked with the diamond companies, the socio-economic agreements that the Northwest Territories has signed with them, it came up as a result of the environmental review process. Certainly, this is an area in which we are having discussions with the diamond companies, and we’re hoping to...

I think it’s important for the public to understand the role the Public Utilities Board plays. The board reviews all applications for rate increases by a regulated power body. If the Public Utilities Board were not there, there would be no opportunity for review and for input by the public, and by affected sectors, to examine rates that have been put forward by utilities and corporations. Over the years the Public Utilities Board decisions have probably resulted in savings to the average consumer of a significant amount.